Canon Giles Goddard has been Vicar of St John’s since September 2009.
He is closely involved in helping the Church of England to be more fully inclusive. He is Chair of Faith for the Climate which works to support interfaith work on climate change and is a member of the Church of England’s Environment Working Group. He has recently completed the Encounter course on spiritual direction.
His second book, “Generous Faith – Creating Vibrant Christian Communities”, was published by Canterbury Press in 2024. From the paradox of feeling both excluded and called to the priesthood, to becoming the only openly gay priest on the Living in Love and Faith co-ordinating group, this book reflects on thirty years’ experience of trying to make the church more inclusive. “Giles Goddard is searingly honest about himself: his early traumas, his coming to faith, his leaving of it, his finding it again and his sexuality. Who he is is part of what he does.” (Church Times, 16.8.24)
In his work as priest of St John’s Waterloo, he has continued to push the boundaries of inclusion, offering a prayer space for the Muslim community, welcoming refugees, the street homeless, and Extinction Rebellion activism. He recently took part in a Nomad podcast with Halima Gossai Hussein. “In this conversation, they reflect on the faith they inherited, the shifts and struggles that reshaped it, and what it means to remain rooted while reimagining what faith can be. They speak with honesty about belonging and exclusion, the tensions of staying within a tradition that can wound, and the unexpected common ground they’ve found across theological, cultural, and historical divides.”
Previously he worked in social housing and at the John Lewis Partnership. He is in a civil partnership with Shanon Shah.